The Candies -- Haru Ichiban (春一番）

Seeing that Spring has arrived, it's time to introduce the representative kayo kyoku tune for the season, "Haru Ichiban"(First Warm Winds of Spring). It is also the most famous song by The Candies, a trio of women who had been working together on music-variety shows since 1972 until releasing their first single in 1973. "Haru Ichiban" was the group's 9th single, released in March 1976, and peaked at No. 3. However, the song had already been part of a 1975 album by the girls, "Toshi Shita no Otoko no Ko"(年下の男の子....A Younger Man), but due to the popularity of the song, it was given its own single status almost a year later.

The Candies' 3 members were: Ran Ito（伊藤蘭）, Miki Fujimura（藤村美樹） and Yoshiko 'Su' Tanaka（田中好子）. Even after hitting it big as singers, they still were popular on the variety show circuit, especially on the long-running  Saturday night program "8Ji Da yo! Zen'in Shuugo!"(８時だよ！全員集合！....It's 8 O'Clock! Everyone Get Together!) hosted by the comedy troupe, The Drifters.

Unlike that other big female aidoru unit of the 1970s, Pink Lady, The Candies left the stage still on top of the music world in 1978. Thirty years later, the trio got back together for a reunion. Sadly, though, Yoshiko Tanaka passed away at the age of 55 last year from breast cancer.